Gladys and Jill Milroy, Eagle, Crow and Emu: Bird Stories, Fremantle Press/Penguin, 28 March 2016, 88pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781925163711
The mother and daughter writers of these stories are Indigenous women from the Pilbara region of Western Australia. ‘Emu and the Water Tree’ and ‘The Great Cold’ are republished from a series originally directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. ‘Eagle and Bullfrog’, the third story, is new. All are in the story tradition of the first people: foolish or naïve bird must recognise the exigencies he or she faces and find a way through to safety, often with the assistance of other animals. Bullfrog helps the baby Eagle, Goanna shows Crow a safe place for her egg, Emu sacrifices part of himself for the rest.
The book is aimed at early readers. It uses simple language and clear text, and may bring young readers closer to understanding the culture from which the tales are derived.
Reviewed by Stella Lees
